Comments on: Knicks Opener Postponed Due to Hurricane Sandyhttp://KnickerBlogger.Net/knicks-opener-postponed-due-to-hurricane-sandy/
Statistical Analysis. Humor. Knicks.Tue, 03 Mar 2015 22:34:06 +0000hourly1http://wordpress.org/?v=4.0.1By: jon abbeyhttp://KnickerBlogger.Net/knicks-opener-postponed-due-to-hurricane-sandy/#comment-406316
Thu, 01 Nov 2012 21:39:54 +0000http://KnickerBlogger.Net/?p=10463#comment-406316glad this game was postponed, as there was no way I could have gotten to it.
]]>By: Plasnickhttp://KnickerBlogger.Net/knicks-opener-postponed-due-to-hurricane-sandy/#comment-406304
Thu, 01 Nov 2012 19:20:30 +0000http://KnickerBlogger.Net/?p=10463#comment-406304After going through the Knicks, Nets, & Barclays Center schedules, the best reschedule date in the near future for today’s game appears to be Monday, November 26. Both teams have no game on Saturday, an afternoon home game on Sunday, and a day off on Tuesday. If it is not played on that date, the first game between the two teams will likely be their next scheduled matchup on December 11.
]]>By: Eric Chenhttp://KnickerBlogger.Net/knicks-opener-postponed-due-to-hurricane-sandy/#comment-406303
Thu, 01 Nov 2012 19:17:20 +0000http://KnickerBlogger.Net/?p=10463#comment-406303“one constant of both Linsanity and the Melo at PF end of the season runs was that Amar’e wasn’t there”:
A point I repeat often to fellow Lin fans who are anti-Melo is that Lin and Anthony would have eventually found their fit as natural G/F complements, and the jagged fit was Stoudemire and Anthony.

Lin’s point total against the Pistons was just okay, due in part to deferring to Harden getting his, but Lin played a solid floor game at PG and put up a healthy stat line. Lin was open a lot on the weak side in the 4Q while Harden was going off. Against better defenses, I expect Harden will swing the ball more to Lin for scores. It’s not like the Rockets have alternative creative scorers to Harden and Lin.

“I’m just not sure 6th seed in the West is possible with so little frontcourt depth.”:
True, frontcourt and depth are the big question marks for the Rockets. Their Fs struggled last night. However, Patrick Patterson, their 3rd-year starting PF, did not play due to a sprain (I think). And their top rookies at F, Terrence Jones and Dontas Montejunas (probably misspelled), sat out, too. I think McHale deliberately chose to play his relatively more-experienced Fs (Morris, Smith, Parsons, Delfino) over his rookie Fs in game 1, perhaps due to lack of practice time with Harden.

Spurs: As much as I admire that team and expect them to excel in the regular season again, their play-off run will end early again due to Duncan and Ginobili slowing down with age and wear and tear. They simply don’t have their championship-winning extra gears anymore.

Lakers: I’m not a believer. Even if/when they get their offense straightened out, old-and-slow Nash/Bryant are a sieve in the backcourt on defense. That’s a fatal flaw. Their bench is weak, too, not good when the starters are old. I think the Lakers will need a Phil Jackson-caliber coach to turn them into legit contenders.

]]>By: knicknykhttp://KnickerBlogger.Net/knicks-opener-postponed-due-to-hurricane-sandy/#comment-406302
Thu, 01 Nov 2012 19:09:11 +0000http://KnickerBlogger.Net/?p=10463#comment-406302Chris Paul is not going to be traded from the Clippers to the Rockets it just isn’t happening. The Clippers have a really good team CP3 isn’t leaving LA. Odd that fans think he will come to NY or go to Houston of all places.
]]>By: The Honorable Cock Jowleshttp://KnickerBlogger.Net/knicks-opener-postponed-due-to-hurricane-sandy/#comment-406300
Thu, 01 Nov 2012 18:41:44 +0000http://KnickerBlogger.Net/?p=10463#comment-406300

We’re mostly on the same page although I think you like them a bit more than I do. By not very good I meant somewhere in the 35-40 win range which I think could potentially get them in the picture for the 8th seed if things go well and they hit their upside. I think they’re still a guy or two short of being in the 45-48 win range that you need for the 8th seed. Long term they shouldn’t have trouble finding those couple guys since they have a bunch of nice young players still and plenty of cap space, but I’d be surprised if they dipped into their assets to try to add that guy this year at some point, and I think the young guys may not be ready enough now to give them the production they need.

Their second and third bigs last night were Marcus Morris and Greg Smith (Never heard of this guy before last night). Asik was very good last night and 33 minutes, 2 fouls is a very good sign going forward, but I’m just not sure 6th seed in the West is possible with so little frontcourt depth.

Millsap is a UFA next season. Houston should be able to offer a near max deal to him, and they could turn into a serious contender with all those young players under contract for the following three seasons. Josh Smith is also an option, and of course, Jeremy Lin could be used to trade for Chris Paul in a sign-and-trade. Houston’s future is awfully bright, even if the West is stacked right now. The Lakers have a very small window and the Spurs are going to feel the loss of Duncan and Manu once they hit the age wall.

We’re mostly on the same page although I think you like them a bit more than I do. By not very good I meant somewhere in the 35-40 win range which I think could potentially get them in the picture for the 8th seed if things go well and they hit their upside. I think they’re still a guy or two short of being in the 45-48 win range that you need for the 8th seed. Long term they shouldn’t have trouble finding those couple guys since they have a bunch of nice young players still and plenty of cap space, but I’d be surprised if they dipped into their assets to try to add that guy this year at some point, and I think the young guys may not be ready enough now to give them the production they need.

Their second and third bigs last night were Marcus Morris and Greg Smith (Never heard of this guy before last night). Asik was very good last night and 33 minutes, 2 fouls is a very good sign going forward, but I’m just not sure 6th seed in the West is possible with so little frontcourt depth.

]]>By: Bruno Almeidahttp://KnickerBlogger.Net/knicks-opener-postponed-due-to-hurricane-sandy/#comment-406291
Thu, 01 Nov 2012 16:19:20 +0000http://KnickerBlogger.Net/?p=10463#comment-406291Harden’s line was the 4th such performance by a player in the last 25 years, with only Bird, Jordan and Wade doing it too…

and who cares if it was against the Pistons? first of all, it’s not like the Pistons are the Bobcats; and Wade did it against the Wizards, who were 19th in defensive efficiency, and nobody mentions that also, because it doesn’t matter.

ruruland: ill bet you any amount of money that Hardens efficiency will go down this yearfrom last.

I dont think Faried’s efficiency was maximized last year. In order for Faried’s efficiency to be maximized, he’ll need to play under a coach who demands he only shoots dunks on cuts, pick and rolls and put backs. If he’s three feet from the hoop on a smaller defender, he’ll need to pass the ball and out and restart the offense.

I’m not arguing from a double standard at all. Faried is now in a position to take more shots because there is less shot creation on the floor. Would it help him if he was playing with a better PnR poInt guard? Of course, but I happen to think Andre Miller and Ty Lawson fit Faried’s game well. Would it benefit Faried’s efficiency if he there were better and more shot creators on the floor? That’s the whole point.

thenamestsam: Ah, okay. Very fair points. I agree that there definitely tends to be a rush to judgement no matter which way things go, and that avoiding that is definitely a good thing. Houston isn’t going to be very good, but that team is going to be damn fun to watch.

</bloResponses

I think Houston will be above .500 and in the fight for spots 6-8.

Harden is a great player, and he'll prove it, but he's not obviously going to put up lines like last night all that often.

Teams will begin to show really hard on him screen and rolls and start adjusting their defenses to him being one of the games elite offensive talents, but more importantly, they will adjust their defenses because Harden is the primary producer of the first team.

Ultimately this will benefit Hardens teammates even if it doesn't directly show up in Hardens stat sheet.